90 Gleanings in Buddhism. [July, 



sent there an artist to make a sketch of the temple, and the vicinity, 

 and finding hoth inviting proceeded in person to the spot. He march- 

 ed with a large retinue and arrived in seven days at a place where water 

 and fish were abundant.* Next day he mounted his horse and reached 

 the Golden Sands. Here he and his people were encountered by huge 

 crows, which tried to drive them away. His Majesty during the ensu- 

 ing night had a dream in which Devattas appeared to him, and said that 

 underneath the temple were relics which had been deposited there by 

 order of a king of Lanka. Next day the king directed people to dig 

 into the Chaittya, but the crows (or spirits in their shape) compelled 

 them to desist. The king therefore returned to his camp. 



It is related that the younger brother of this Raja lived in Lansaka, 

 and that sickness still prevailed amongst his own subjects. The son of 

 the Raja died here, which added to his afflictions. A year afterwards 

 the Maha Thera arrived at the camp, and the king having inquired 

 from whence he had come, he replied that he had been engaged during 

 the previous seven years, in the traversing various regions, disseminating 

 religious instruction to their inhabitants. 



His Majesty, again accosting the priest, observed that the spot where 

 his camp now was had been found unhealthy, and requested that his 

 lordship would favor him with the best advise as to where he should 

 remove. The Thera then sprinkled holy water about the camp and the 

 contagion ceased, and he afterwards advised His Majesty to remove and 

 settle at the Diamond Sands. Accordingly Indra sent Maha Tiili to 

 attend to the wishes of Dhammasoka Raja. 



It happened that at this time Raja Naga with seven heads and as 

 many tails, guarded the Chaittya. But no sooner had the king, accom- 

 panied by Maha Tuli and a large retinue approached close to it, that 

 this mighty snake king was observed to be majestically disentwining 

 himself from the huge folds with which he had encompassed the relic 

 shrine. 



As he wound off, he left a deep impression on the ground ; which His 

 Majesty perceiving, he directed stakes to be driven into the line at inter- 

 vals, and it was within this circuit that he subsequently founded a city. 



The king now ordered six thousand (6000) men to prepare bricks, 

 and large parties to dig up the soil and clear away the forest. 

 * Some river or lake. 



